Leaving "rotten" Iran deal, Trump rushes nuclear showdown
Richard Haass 25 mins ago
Richard Haass is president of the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of A World in Disarray.
President Trump took the most radical option available in pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, which he variously described as horrible, one-sided, disastrous, decaying and rotten. He also announced the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran and those who continue to do business with Iran.
Why it matters: Trumps decision could force a showdown over Irans nuclear program now rather than in a decade. If Iran were to resume nuclear activities proscribed by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), there is a real risk the U.S. or Israel would launch attacks against it, starting a regional conflict of unknown dimensions.
Trump did not emphasize Iranian non-compliance with the JCPOA. Instead, he cited Irans ability to exploit the limitations and perceived flaws of the 2015 agreement, which neither addresses Irans push for regional influence (including support for terrorism) nor precludes Iran from implementing many prerequisites of a nuclear weapons program when limits on centrifuges and enriched uranium sunset in just over 7 and 12 years respectively.
Whats next: Iran will want to start talks with the Europeans, China and Russia about preserving the JCPOA and avoiding broad sanctions. But Trumps withdrawal could bring about a conflict with European governments if he follows through on threats to sanction those who maintain business ties with Iran after 3 or 6 months.
The decision could lead North Korea to question the utility of signing an agreement with the U.S. and reinforce doubts around the world about the willingness of this president to stand by American commitments.
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